Croswell hiring for summer internships

The Croswell Opera House in Adrian, Michigan, will hire eight full-time interns for this summer season.

Interns will be divided into different sections of the theater: arts marketing and box office, costuming, technical, properties and wigs, hair and makeup. The interns will have the opportunity to work with professional actors, directors and designers.

Interns will work on elaborate shows including “Into The Woods,” “Mary Poppins,” “Big Fish” and “Memphis,” said Director of Marketing and Audience Development Erik Gable. The shows offer challenges to learn from, he said.

The theater is looking for people who are reliable and have passion for the performing arts, he added.

Interns will work for 13 weeks from May to August and all positions will require some evening and weekend hours. Each intern will receive a stipend of $250 per week and the Croswell can assist in finding “reasonably priced housing” if necessary.

Applicants must be enrolled in college as of fall 2015 or have graduated in spring 2015. All interns must be 18 years old by the internship’s start date.

To apply, send a cover letter, resume and three references to Business Manager Steve Krause at skrause@croswell.org. Applications are due by 5 p.m. March 6.

Also, auditions to be cast in any summer shows will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 21, 6-9 p.m. March 22 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 28.

For more information, visit Croswell.org/internships or call (517) 263-6868.

“It was very, very popular,” Righter said. “This is the first time in recent history that the Croswell has done a show for three full weekends. … It was our response to the community wanting to see the show.”

Righter said she is excited to start the show. Her favorite part about it is how family-friendly it is.

“It’s a story for all ages so you can bring children and you can bring grandparents, and everyone’s going to enjoy it,” she said. “Many people are familiar with it, but when they come here, they see the movie really comes to life. … We really work hard to make it really magical and a family show.”

The show is based on the 1954 film starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney. The Croswell’s production stars Jim Craig as Bob, Joe Dennehy as Phil, Mackenzie Dryer as Betty and Libby Bruno as Judy. Some of the musical numbers include “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing,” “I Love a Piano” and “White Christmas.”

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14 and 21 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 8, 14, 15 and 22. Tickets for the show range from $15 to $35, depending on seat location. Tickets for students age 15 and younger are $15. Discounts are available for groups ordering 14 or more tickets for a single performance. Tickets can be purchased at the Croswell’s box office or by calling (517) 264-SHOW.

Croswell Opera House receives $1 million donation

The Croswell Opera House in Adrian recently received a $1 million donation that will go toward a new round of renovations to the 147-year-old historic landmark.

Real estate developers George and Julia Argyros of Southern California donated the money Oct. 3 during a luncheon with Croswell staff and board members at the theater.

The couple has ties to the area. Julia grew up in Adrian and graduated from Adrian High School in 1958. She has fond memories of the Croswell as a theater student, acting in her first play at the Croswell in ninth grade, said Jere Righter, Croswell’s artistic director.

Their intentions for the donation are to “preserve the heritage of the Croswell Opera House and allow future generations to enjoy this beautiful community treasure,” Julia Argyros said in a news release.

The Croswell is now in the development phase of a capital campaign project to bring the theater further up to date. The money will be used toward future renovations, Righter said.

“We were hoping [the Argyroses] would support the campaign. And [in regard to] the ‘when and where and how much,’ we were pleasantly surprised,” Righter said. “The gift is just the beginning of what we’re going to need because it’s all expensive stuff.”

The Croswell’s capital campaign, which hasn’t officially kicked off yet, now has $1.2 million in funds, according to a news release. The goal is $3.5 million, Righter said.

“We don’t have [renovation] plans yet. We’re just in the conversation stage about it. But eventually we will. [We] envision major renovations.”

The women’s bathrooms need to be updated because women stand in line up to 25 minutes, Righter said. The box office also needs fixing because patrons have to wait outside when waiting in line for a ticket. The lighting and sound could use a technology upgrade to improve production values.

Other changes are planned to the Heritage Room to allow for small performances and cabarets while a production is happening on the main stage, Righter said.

The most important aspects to maintain are the patrons’ quality experience and a quality production, Righter said.

“We want everyone to feel warmly welcomed in our building, and we want to provide them with a comfortable and warm environment,” Righter said.

The Croswell has been entertaining residents of Lenawee County and the surrounding areas since 1866. It was named an official Michigan Historic Site in 1976 and in the 1980s was recognized as the “oldest continuously operating theater in Michigan, and third oldest in the United States,” according to the Croswell’s website. It was put on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s.

The theater began in the 1860s with concerts, lectures, vaudeville acts, minstrel shows and educational activities. Some legendary historical figures have graced the stage, including Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass and Edwin Booth, according to the website.

The Croswell was a movie theater from 1920-67. It was scheduled to be demolished in 1967, but the Adrian Foundation stepped in and saved the building.

Today, the Croswell produces plays and musicals through its Broadway season from May to December. It also hosts concerts, children’s shows, comedy, dueling pianos and more, Righter said.

“It’s really about improving our patrons’ services,” Righter said of the fundraising efforts. “I would just want to make sure we serve our patrons the best way we can.”

Adrian’s Croswell stages Disney’s ‘Cinderella KIDS’

Tea parties and princesses will be in the spotlight when Adrian’s Croswell Opera House stages Disney’s “Cinderella KIDS”

Set for Feb. 8-10 and Feb. 16-17, the program includes a bonus tea party luncheon prior to the Saturday matinees on Feb. 9 and Feb. 16.

“The tea party luncheon is $15 per person and includes an opportunity to meet, mingle and get a photo taken with a Disney princess and to do a make-and-take princess art project,” said Jere Righter, artistic director for the Croswell.

Tickets for the tea party are limited and should be purchased in advance by calling (517) 264-7469.

The play tells the timeless fairy tale of Cinderella, mistreated by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters and denied the chance to attend the royal ball. With the help of a fairy godmother, Cinderella attends the ball where she meets her handsome prince and falls in love.

John MacNaughton, creative director for the Croswell, is directing the show.

“Part of the Croswell’s mission is to educate, so doing shows involving children is a natural,” he said. “Providing this opportunity is important to children.”

MacNaughton said he encouraged the children performing in the show to share their ideas and many of those ideas are being used in the production.

“The pride they take in knowing they came up with a good idea is visible,” he said.

The show’s tea party has been a popular feature in the past with parents and grandparents.

“The Croswell has done princess tea parties in the past and parents and grandparents seem to love having this experience with their little girls,” he said. “They come in princess gowns, the whole nine yards.”

Nearly 100 people auditioned for the show, about 80 of them younger than 12. There are 40 in the cast, MacNaughton said.

“One of the challenges is to make sure the children are meaningfully involved in the story and this group is,” he said. “They provide a lot of the comic relief and are in substantial roles, helping to tell the story.”

“Even though this is a fairly simple story, I thought the roles of the stepmother and stepsisters were too demanding for a younger person to handle,” MacNaughton said. “The three actors I cast — Joyce Lancaster, Kayla Henry and Sarah Garofalo — are hilarious.”

MacNaughton said the show is filled with comic elements, which he found surprising. There are several performers new to MacNaughton who have brought “wonderful comic talent to the show,” he said.

“Noah Beasley as the Town Herald is about 10 and I predict we’ll see him for many years to come,” MacNaughton said. “Another surprise came with Anthony Isom. He’s in his early 20s and has never been in a show and his wacky sense of comedy is a joy to watch. Another new performer for me is Sarah Garofalo, who understands the wicked stepsister Anastasia in the funniest way.”

Music director for the show is Peggy Snead. Ashley Nowak is choreographing the show, while Leo Babcock is the scenic designer. Tiff Crutchfield is lighting designer, Tyler Miller is sound designer and costumes were designed by Emily Gifford. Beth Hale rounds out the backstage crew as the production stage manager.

“Kids’ shows talk to the kid in me,” MacNaughton said. “I love a good pratfall and silly jokes. And coming up with the sets and costumes is always fun, too — lots of color and glitter is usually involved.”

Curtain times for Disney’s “Cinderella, Kids” are Friday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9 and Feb. 16 at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10 and 17 at 1:30 p.m. An additional evening performance on Feb. 16 will be staged at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors 60 and older, and $5 for children 10 and younger, and are available by calling (517) 264-SHOW (7469) or online at Croswell.org. Tickets also are available at the door at the Croswell box office, 129 E. Maumee St. in downtown Adrian.

MacNaughton said he never pictured himself as someone who would enjoy doing children’s theater, but he’s discovered he does.

“I absolutely love the enthusiasm kids bring to rehearsals,” he said. “Doing shows designed for a young audience gives me license to be absolutely ridiculous, which is fun.

“This cast of kids seems especially attuned to theater. The choreographer mentioned how quickly they learn choreography and the music director is astounded at the sound the mice chorus makes.

“We’re building the next generation of theater professionals with our children’s shows.”

This entry was posted
on Tuesday, February 5th, 2013 at 11:41 am and is filed under Star, Theater.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

‘Miracle on 34th Street’ to close Broadway season at Croswell

After 23 years of marriage, Michael and Betsy Lackey are doing something they haven’t done before — co-directing “Miracle on 34th Street.”

So far, it’s an experience they have enjoyed, the couple said.

“It’s been fun,” Michael said. “We’re having a great time.”

The hit Broadway musical, based on the successful 1940s movie, will be staged Dec. 7-9 at the historic Croswell Opera House, 129 E. Maumee St., in downtown Adrian. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9. Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for students and seniors and $15 for children 12 and younger.

The Lackeys are no strangers to the Croswell stage. They met in 1980 on the set of “Pajama Game,” playing opposite each other, and married in 1989. Michael has spent the last six years with “Phantom of the Opera” in Las Vegas and Betsy is pleased to have him back home. Doing the play together has been rewarding.

“We work well together,” Betsy said. “We keep each other in check. When one is frustrated, the other steps up and the first steps back.”

Adds Michael, “Another cool thing is that Betsy is far more experienced as a director while I have more acting experience. Plus we write music together and that is helpful in working on this musical.”

The hit show was originally titled “Here’s Love” for the stage. Written by “The Music Man” composer Meredith Wilson, the show features the familiar holiday theme, “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas.”

“Meredith Wilson is known for his ‘patter songs’ and his marches,” Betsy said. “So this is kind of like a 1960s version of a rap musical.”

The couple knew they wanted to make a few changes when they agreed to direct.

“One of the first things we did was change it back from the 1960s to the 1940s,” Betsy said.

“It has been interesting because we have to change all those references to things that weren’t around in the 1940s,” Michael said.

Another challenge for the couple is the size of the cast.

“We have 59 people in this cast and it is huge,” said Betsy.

The show blends Christmas, kids and music into a memorable performance.

The show includes a variety of performances showcasing the children’s talents, including acrobats, a ballerina en pointe, a Dutch girl on roller skates and others in the opening scene, set during the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

The plot is the story of Kris Kringle, portrayed by Mark Hyre, an old man who claims to be the authentic Santa Claus. The controversy surrounding his claims eventually spreads the spirit of the season far and wide, even bringing competing department stores Macy’s and Gimbel’s together.

The Croswell production features Allison Siebold of Toledo as the suspicious and practical Macy’s executive Doris Walker while Arielle Osstifin of Tecumseh portrays Doris’s daughter, Susan. The cast has exceeded the Lackeys’ expectations, in part because of the way they have chosen to stage it.

“We brought in more experienced actors to work with the new actors and they become this great team,” Michael said.

The play “has become this great big learning experience for everyone — including Michael and I,” Betsy said.

The musical isn’t a commonly-staged show, so much of what has been done on the stage and in the rehearsals has been up to the co-directors. Because it’s not as familiar to casts, crews or audiences, the process has been a learning experience from the start.

“This isn’t a show you’d see in Ann Arbor or Dexter,” Michael said. “It’s not one people know. But it’s really a lot of fun.”

In addition to working on the directing end, Michael also served as “scenic painter” for the production.

The Lackeys agree the experience has been rewarding.

“It’s been a surprising and happy experience,” Michael said. “We’ve got a good company and it’s a good show.”

For more information, call the Croswell at 517-264-SHOW (7469) or visit www.croswell.org.

The classic story of a guy and a girl stranded with a flat tire on a dark, rainy night in November will hit the Croswell Opera House just in time for Halloween.

Yes, “The Rocky Horror Show” is returning to the stage with all of the oddball, grotesque and strange elements that have made it a cult classic since it was first performed in the 1970s.

Eric Parker, Adrian High School alum and Siena Heights University graduate, is directing the production, staged Oct. 19-21 and 26-27.

“I would never have guessed when I was in college that this show that I thought was so stupid would turn out to be something I’ve been involved in at least 15 times,” Parker said with a grin. “This is the third time I’ve directed and acted in it at the Croswell.”

Parker will play Riff Raff, a servant in the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, played with relish by Paul Manger of Toledo. Manger’s last Croswell role was Thomas Jefferson in the 1998 production of “1776.” Scotland Mills of Adrian is Brad Majors while Katy Kujala of Commerce Township, Mich., is Janet Weiss. Rounding out the cast are Kyrie Bristle of Adrian (Magenta), Alison Siebold of Perrysburg (Columbia), Gary Lundy of Adrian (Eddie), Kevin Underhill of Adrian (Dr. Scott), Zane Dickerson of Adrian (Rocky) and Tom Studnicka of Adrian (Narrator). There are also 11 in the ensemble: Lavina Flores, Sarah Garofalo, Ian Graves, Gretchen Hall, Kayla Henry, Chloe Kelley, Kyle Krichbaum, Rob Kuschell, Brian Miller, Jessie Monte and Ashleigh VanNieuwenhze.

The cast of the Croswell Opera House production of ‘Rocky Horror.’ PHOTO BY LAD STRAYER, COURTESY CROSWELL OPERA HOUSE

Parker said the biggest challenge in staging “Rocky Horror Show” is the limited talent pool at this time of year.

“People have a lot of other activities going on, so getting a good cast together that can make it to rehearsals is a bit of a challenge,” he said.

Parker, most recently featured in “Obsession” as Victor Frankenstein and in “Avenue Q,” which he also directed, has been involved in theater since his childhood. A 1992 graduate of Siena Heights, with a degree in theater, Parker calls the stage “my real job.” When he’s not in Adrian working with the Croswell, he’s at The Barn in west Michigan or at Tommy Gun’s Garage in Chicago, where he performs musical numbers as Knuckles Andwich. Besides the Croswell, Parker has staged “Rocky Horror” at The Barn at least dozen times.

“It’s a naughty show and we are advising folks that it is R-rated,” Parker said. “It is adult content, adult themes and adult language. There’s a horrifying ice pick murder in the show. Definitely not for kids.”

The musical, a spoof of classic sci-fi films of the 1950s, features such tunes as “Sweet Transvestite,” “Science Fiction Double Feature” and “Time Warp.”

“This show has a lot of familiar music,” Parker said. “People will recognize it.”

Another challenge of the script, he said, is in its latitude.

“The characters are so closely identified by the movie that people have their expectations,” he said. “There is danger in the latitude of the script — you can do it sloppy or you can do it tight but people want to participate how they want to participate and you want them to be able to do this.”

In fact, “participation packs” will be available for purchase at the door for $5. The packs will include glow sticks, poppers, noisemakers, playing cards, rubber gloves and newspapers. Patrons are invited to come in costume to the production, according to artistic director Jere Righter.

“We encourage people to yell and to throw things,” Parker said. “But we don’t want them throwing hot dogs, rice or toast.”

Todd Schreiber of Whiteford, Mich., is the musical director for the show.

“I’ve worked with Todd before on this show and he knows what cuts I like,” Parker said.

Stephanie Stephan of Toledo is the choreographer and Cindy Farnham is doing costumes. Tiff Crutchfield of Ann Arbor is the lighting designer and Tyler Miller of Adrian is the sound designer.

“It’s really rewarding to be at a place like this in my life,” Parker said “This is the 35th show I’ve done in this building. Seeing how I’ve progressed from the time I was a kid to being a director is fulfilling. If I didn’t do theater, I don’t know what else I would do.”

Remaining show times are Friday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. and a special midnight encore Oct. 27. Cash bar and doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors ages 60 and older and students with a valid ID. They can be purchased at the Croswell box office, located at 129 E. Maumee St. in downtown Adrian, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets also are available by phone at (517) 264-SHOW (7469) or online at www.croswell.org.

This entry was posted
on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012 at 9:51 am and is filed under Star, Theater.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Theater

‘Legally Blonde’ part of Croswell’s ‘Great Big Night’

“Legally Blonde,” the musical version of the hit movie, opens June 15 at the Croswell Opera House.

The show, which charts the journey of fashion merchandising major Elle Woods from sorority sister to successful law school student, is a perfect pick for a fun Croswell event, according to executive director Jere Righter.

“Most people know this as a movie with Reese Witherspoon, but the story line translates so well to music and the characters are larger than life,” Righter said. “The day the rights became available for community theater I secured them for this spot.”

The “spot” Righter refers to is part of the Croswell’s annual “Great Big Night” fund-raiser.

“We have an opening night pre-party with dinner catered by the Hathaway House, a full bar, a small live auction and then after the show, there is a dance party out in the street in front of the Croswell.”

Patrons may purchase tickets for all three events for $100. Pre-party tickets are $50 while admission to the show is $28 and the post-party, $25. Tickets are available by calling (517) 264-7469 or by logging on to croswell.org.

“We are creating some faux magazine covers to decorate the library for the pre-party,” she said. “It’s clever and cute. The pre-party is a great way to support the Croswell and we’ll also be presenting the Lenawee Arts award.”

Righter is thrilled with the upcoming show.

“The play centers around Elle Woods, who should be someone you don’t like,” Righter said. “She’s so into fashion, pink is her signature color, yet she’s funny, smart, moral and wants to do the right thing.”

Marlena Hilderley of Tecumseh is cast as Elle. A student at the University of Michigan where she is studying vocal performance and music education, Hilderley has a long list of Croswell credits, including “High School Musical 2,” “Fame,” “A Chorus Line” and “Hairspray.”

“I really like the play,” Hilderley said. “I liked the movie and I started listening to the soundtrack when I found out the Croswell was doing it. I found I really liked the soundtrack — Elle is the kind of character I like to play, a challenging role. She’s perceived as superficial but on the inside, she’s not.”

Hilderley said one difficulty in playing the role of Elle is finding a balance between being likeable and overly obnoxious.

“She sees that she actually belongs (at Harvard) and that she’s meant to be there after all.”

Jen Letherer, a theater and film professor at Spring Arbor University, is directing “Legally Blonde.”

“One of the things that makes the character dynamic is that she’s fun, she doesn’t dwell on things that aren’t important throughout the entire play.”

Letherer said it is important to understand the nature of the story and not feel compelled to depend on gimmicks.

“Any moment in a successful play comes from performers and the strength of the production,” she said. “So here we look at how we can make what is natural work, look at what is the real intention of the play and how we can make it work. In other words, not looking for the easy laugh but for what a character would really do.”

Letherer praised her cast and the talent they will bring to the final production.

“We have 20 cast members but they are all utility players, playing a lot of different things, and they understand the nature of the space, the community and the time,” she said. “We have a strong choreographer in Deb Calabrese and a great musical director in Dave Rains. Those are major essentials for me and it contributes to the fun (of staging the musical).”

Letherer said the “rehearsals are a joy.

“This is a delightful group of performers who understand how to make the play wonderful for them and for the audience.”

Selecting the right show for the fund-raiser is a challenge.

“For all our musicals, which run from May to December, we are looking for shows that have broad appeal but also we have to be confident we can cast a show,” Righter said. “For June, for our ‘Great Big Night,’ we wanted something uplifting and fun and in this show, we have it. We have a show that has a message of loyalty, integrity and intelligence winning out but it’s told in a clever and fun way so it’s not heavy-handed.”

Besides Hilderley, the cast includes David Blackburn of New Boston as Warner, Darin DeWeese of Ann Arbor as Emmett, Natasha Ricketts of Adrian as Paulette, Mark Hyre of Tecumseh as Professor Callahan, Callie Cothern of Tecumseh as Vivienne, Ashley Greer of Bedford as Margo, Abby Dotz of Saline as Pilar, Katie Ialacci of Temperance as Serena, Hallie Toland of Holland, Ohio, as Brooke and Emily Wyse of Wauseon as Enid. The ensemble cast features Ryan Chang of Onsted, Dan Evans of Adrian, Mia Gladieux of Perrysburg, Kyle Krichbaum of Adrian, Jocelyn Near of Sand Creek, Austin Olano of Onsted, Alissa Reeder of Tecumseh, Austin Terris of Saline and Brandon Wright of Toledo.

“There is something for everyone in this show,” Letherer said. “It has had a wonderful life with MTV and that generation, there are lots of really fun parts, a lot of humor and a lot of heart.”

ASO to explore ‘Enchanted Garden’

Think of it like a four-course meal for the ears — and the heart. That would be John Thomas Dodson’s advice for listening to the latest concert planned by the Adrian Symphony Orchestra (ASO), set for April 28 at the historic Croswell Opera House. Curtain time is 8 p.m.

“Enchanted Garden” is the final offering in the Croswell trilogy for this ASO season and it features music by Maurice Ravel, Ottorino Respighi, Sergei Prokofiev and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

“This is a really beautiful concert,” Dodson, the concert’s principal conductor, said. “Every conductor thinks his or her concert is beautiful but I think in this case I’m truly not gilding the lily when I say it. It really is enchanted music.”

Opening the concert is Maurice Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite,” a work Dodson considers “a look at childhood viewed from a very adult perspective.”

“Ravel’s take on the ‘Mother Goose’ stories is a musical, self-aware innocence, a daydreaming look at how ugliness is transformed through character,” he explained. “It’s the kind of innocence you can only have if you’ve lived past your innocent years.”

Dodson said the Ravel is filled with birdcalls and some of the most sensuously beautiful music ever written.

“It has a softness, a rounded quality — with a full range of the colors of the palette available,” he said. “The orchestration has the instruments doubling — that is, a musician will play the flute, then put that down and pick up a piccolo or another will put down the bassoon and pick up the contrabassoon. The result is a deceptively simple, yet deceptively sophisticated piece with a remarkable sound.”

John Thomas Dodson, music director of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra. Photo by Jean luc Fiévet

The suite is divided into five “stories,” including “Sleeping Beauty,” “Tom Thumb,” “Empress of the Pagodas,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Fairy Garden.”

The story hiding inside the fairy tales, Dodson said, “is the idea of how beauty is brought about by risking dealing with something which is ugly or unavailable.”

For instance, he said, the listener hears this in the orchestra when the Beast is transformed into a prince because of a woman’s willingness to love and in another place, when the serpent king is able to love the ugly princess, Dodson said.

“In the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ there is a blurry moment in the music, and suddenly that which was not beautiful is absolutely perfect. You can almost see what Ravel is illustrating,” he said.

Like words on a page evoke images in the mind of a reader, so it is with a musical score. A reader hears with his or her eyes.

“You open a book and begin to read, it begins to form a sound, an image, a feeling,” Dodson said. “A score is the same.”

For Dodson, looking at the musical notes on their staffs, with key signatures and treble clefs helps him to hear with his imagination as he plans the music for a concert.

“I was trying to map out ‘Mother Goose’ and came to this moment in the final movement. Ecstasy is how I would describe that moment,” he said. “The ecstasy of sound.”

The goal of “Enchanted Garden,” Dodson said, is to take listeners on a journey. He said once he pictured the four titles together and “played with the order until it was right,” he knew what he wanted soloist Pip Clarke to play.

“For all the softness of the Ravel piece, Prokofiev’s ‘Violin Concerto 2’ in G minor has the crunch,” Dodson said. “It is salt and pepper, sweetness and salty, very much a foil to the Ravel.”

Prokofiev’s work is a signature piece for Clarke, a violin virtuoso born in the United Kingdom.

“The nature of the harmonies ramps everything up in this music, it’s spicier in a way,” Dodson said. “After the ravishing quality of the Ravel, we now have this quality of lively music, with a very Russian soul, a sardonic humor, a cleverness.”

In the finale, Prokofiev chooses the “right wrong note, a bit of a pinch” to demonstrate “not everything is meant to be a furrowed brow.” Prokofiev uses expectation and shock to “pull you out of whatever you may be in,” Dodson said.

The first movement carries the sound of a Russian folk song and takes the soloist from the simplest materials to the most demanding passages, he said.

“The next movement is a simple harmonic pattern overlaid with a sublime and ecstatic violin melody,” Dodson said. “Then the last movement is the jester. The composer lets notes come out to relieve the heaviness, a sarcastic, acerbic sound with explosive energy right up to the very end.”

The second half of the concert opens with the opposite of Prokofiev, Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending,” which premiered in 1920. Dodson described the work as “the flight of a single lark, a love song of Williams to the English pastoral landscape.

The violin is on either side of the intermission and then “we’re finally back to the land of enchantment with ‘The Birds’ by Respighi.

“This piece goes back to baroque music, illustrating different bird calls and sets them in modern orchestral garb,” Dodson said.

Although music carries an aural definition, most of Dodson’s preparation is done in silence.

“The work of a musician is to imagine,” Dodson said. “It’s really a creative act, you re-create, you look at the score, trying to imagine what it sounds like. Your work is to try to find within it the best balances or particulars you’ve noticed that you think the composers want the audience to hear. What is silent is turned into sound. Ultimately, it is an act of love.”

This entry was posted
on Tuesday, April 24th, 2012 at 12:10 pm and is filed under In Concert.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Stage

One Man Star Wars: Performer brings The Force to Adrian

A long time ago (about 30 years) in a galaxy far, far away (Hawaii), a young Canadian boy named Charles Ross was taken to a theater by his father to see “Star Wars” for the first time. Actually, he saw two movies that day — they were showing a double feature of the original film and “The Empire Strikes Back.”

“But he didn’t tell me that it wasn’t the end of the story. I was convinced that the sort of lame tone left over at the end of ‘Empire Strikes Back’ was the way the story actually ended. And I was like, ‘What a bummer of a story!’ I was really angry at George Lucas for doing that,” Ross said in an interview with Toledo Free Press Star.

His dad did eventually tell him that another movie was still on the way, and thus a lifelong fandom of “Star Wars” began in earnest — one which has manifested itself in the show that Ross performs, “One Man Star Wars Trilogy.” He will be at the Croswell Opera House in Adrian, Mich., on April 21.

“It’s really a tongue-in-cheek homage to ‘Star Wars.’ It’s probably as close to watching an 8-year-old kid pretending to be all the characters in ‘Star Wars,’ except that I’m trapped in a 37-year-old body.”

Ross’ familiarity with the films — or at least the first one — extends back to his childhood growing up on a farm in western Canada, far from the range of conventional television signals. If he wanted to watch TV as a kid, he had to watch a videotape.

“So, I had the first ‘Star Wars’ film recorded off of television from before we moved up there, we had ‘The Blue Lagoon’ with Brooke Shields, if you ever saw that film — and be happy I don’t do the ‘One Man Blue Lagoon’ — and the other film was actually the miniseries ‘Shogun,’ which had Richard Chamberlain in it. It was something like an eight- or nine-part miniseries, and it was missing the last 20 minutes of the final episode. And I never had any idea how it ended! Once more, I just thought it was a bummer of an ending.”

As a result, whenever Ross wanted to watch TV, he watched “Star Wars” — over and over again. Four-hundred times before he was 10, by his count. And as an adult, his familiarity and love for the film led to the idea to perform it onstage himself.

“It was sort of a slow process. I ended up trying to do the first film — it ended up being about 25 minutes, sort of like a comedy sketch, just to see if people would get it. And I was surprised at how much people got out of the 25-minute thing.”

The positive response led to Ross developing the full show with director TJ Dawes as a full, one-hour, one-man show — 20 minutes per film in the trilogy.

“It was perfect; I started to tour this on the fringe theater festivals,” Ross said. “I was able to tour it around America and around Canada, and basically tap into all the fandom of ‘Star Wars.’”

That’s when LucasFilm first heard of the show.

“They were completely intrigued, because I wasn’t using any artwork from ‘Star Wars,’ I wasn’t selling ice cream bars with my face on it — it was just simply one guy, three films, on a stage, and celebrating the love of all things ‘Star Wars.’ So they were totally up the alley of letting me keep doing it.”

Ross performs with the full permission of LucasFilm and said he is genuinely thrilled to get the chance to share his love of “Star Wars” with audiences.

“The weird thing is, I never set out for this to be the case. It’s odd to think that I kind of arrived at that place, having never actually set out to arrive at that place. It was something where it was kind of a lucky mistake, or a bit of a fluke.”

This entry was posted
on Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 at 9:21 am and is filed under Star, Theater.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Theater

‘Cotton Patch’ kicks off Croswell Broadway season

The “Greatest Story Ever Told” has been recounted in various forms over the past two millennia and, in 1981, popular folk singer Harry Chapin penned the music and lyrics to “The Cotton Patch Gospel,” a musical written by Tom Key and Russell Treyz, based on Clarence Jordan’s book, “The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John.”

The musical kicks off the Croswell Opera House 2012 season with performances April 13-15 and Sunday, April 15. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. for Friday and Saturday performances. Matinee performances are at 2:30 p.m. April 14-15. Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for students and seniors and $15 for children 12 and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling (517) 264-SHOW (265-7469) or at the door.

The familiar stories of the Bible are transplanted to rural Georgia, with Gainesville as a stand-in for Bethlehem, Valdosta for Nazareth and Atlanta for Jerusalem.

Director Joyce Cameron of Clinton, Mich., said she first saw the film a few years back.

“At first, I thought it was the strangest, hokiest thing I’d ever seen, but it grew on me,” she said. “When I found out the Croswell was producing this show, I asked who was directing. They said they didn’t know so I suggested myself.”

She got the job. Cameron said she loves the Passion story and “I wanted to help tell this quirky version.”

Imagine the Gospel of Matthew set in Georgia in the 1960s and all of the possibilities for character interaction and that is “Cotton Patch Gospel,” according to Cameron.

“We held auditions at the Croswell and decided to take all those who could read and sing well, regardless of their looks,” Cameron said. “This is a show that needs a wide variety of people, looks and ages.”

“Cotton Patch Gospel” is James Hanley’s third Croswell production. A political science professor at Adrian College, Hanley toured with a college drama group when he was attending Greenville College in Illinois, but had not performed in more than 20 years when he landed a role in “Of Mice and Men” in 2009.

Johanna Hanley has been in five Croswell shows and had no professional theater experience.

“My only stage experience was in college and community choruses,” she said. “I became interested in being onstage after I was working at the Croswell and volunteered to be part of the chorus in ‘A Christmas Carol’ when they needed more adults. It was so much fun, I wanted to do more.”

The Hanleys’ three daughters, Olivia, 14; Ivy, 10; and Ava, 9, are joining their parents onstage.

“They all have been onstage at the Croswell before and have small roles in this production,” Johanna said.

Cameron, a music teacher at Clinton Community Schools for the past 22 years, earned her bachelor’s degree in music from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., and her master’s degree in music education from Western Michigan University.

“My theater background is all experiential,” she said. “I started out performing in musicals in junior high and have continued right up until recently.”

Cameron has four children. Her youngest is playing Young Jesus in the show, one of a handful of actors playing multiple roles throughout the production.

Also in the cast are James Swendsen of Adrian as Jesus and Mark Hyre of Tecumseh as Matthew. Josie and Michelle Miller and Rick and Barb Vaught of Adrian and Margaret Hyre, Charlie Steffens and Marianne Steffens of Tecumseh round out the cast. The bluegrass band for the show, which joins the cast onstage and gets involved in the action, is led by David Rains of Adrian on keyboard, Amy Marr of Britton on fiddle, Nate Bagby and Jeremy Blaska of Tecumseh on guitar, Chris Livesay of Saline on bass and Mark Palms of Manchester on banjo. Rains is the show’s music director.

This entry was posted
on Tuesday, April 10th, 2012 at 10:50 am and is filed under Star, Theater.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.